NEHS is thrilled to sponsor a fully funded opportunity for student members to present at the prestigious 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in New Orleans, LA, this March.
Imagine standing before an audience of scholars and enthusiasts, honing your public speaking, critical thinking, and academic writing skills. This convention isn’t just about presenting—it’s about immersing yourself in the latest research and developments in English studies, deepening your understanding, and sparking your curiosity.
By participating, you will contribute fresh perspectives and ideas, enriching ongoing academic discussions and research. You’ll have the chance to network with top scholars and researchers, gaining invaluable insights into university studies and beyond.
This experience will not only boost your college application and resume but also showcase your initiative, passion for learning, and ability to tackle complex topics. Being selected to present at the Sigma Tau Delta convention is a testament to your determination and intellectual contributions.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to shine and grow—embrace the spotlight and make your mark in the world of English studies.
Sample abstracts and presentations are available at the foot of this page.
Awards
NEHS will provide opportunities for up to 5 pairs of students from different NEHS chapters to attend and present at the Sigma Tau Delta convention. Each pair of students will be accompanied to the convention by a Chapter Advisor.
The fully funded trip for 2 students and a Chapter Advisor for each selected chapter will include round-trip transportation, 3-nights accommodation at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans Hotel, and a food and drink allowance for the duration of the NEHS event. This award is applicable to students within mainland North America. Students and Chapter Advisors from chapters located elsewhere are welcome to apply, but should contact Christopher Lockwood, NEHS Director, for further information about logistics.
Eligibility
- Students must be student members at active Chapters at the time their work is submitted and throughout the convention. Students cannot have graduated prior to their presentation.
- The accompanying Chapter Advisor must be registered in NEHS Connect at the time work is submitted and throughout the convention.
Submission Requirements
Abstracts (September/October)
- Students must work in pairs and a Chapter Advisor must submit work on behalf of the pair of students. Chapter Advisors can only submit work for 1 pair of students from their school.
- The pair must submit two unique, innovative, insightful, and thought provoking presentation abstracts (300-350 words) that outline a presentation that will analyze the context, setting, characters, plot, literary devices, and/or themes within the following texts that will be evident in the final presentation. One abstract must examine Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones while the other must analyze Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
- Students in the pair can work on both abstracts together or separately.
- The submitted abstracts must have been created exclusively by one or both of the members of the pair. The Chapter Advisor who submits the abstracts will be asked to confirm this.
- The titles of both abstracts should be descriptive of the content of the presentation.
- All student writers must include a 150-word (max.) third-person biography and high-resolution portrait photo.
- Applicants must agree that they are willing to provide a written report and photos detailing the impact the award has had on them, which can be used by NEHS to promote this and other opportunities in future years should they win an award.
We highly recommend sharing your work with, and receiving feedback from, NEHS student members and Chapter Advisors prior to submission.
Students and Chapter Advisors will be notified on initial acceptance in November. NEHS reserves the right to deny final acceptance if the final presentation does not meet the requirements outlined below:
Presentations (January)
- Students in the pair can work on both final presentations together or separately.
- The submitted presentations must have been created exclusively by one or both of the members of the pair. The Chapter Advisor who submits the presentations will be asked to confirm this.
- Both final presentations must be created in either PowerPoint or KeyNote.
- Neither final presentation should last more than 10 minutes when presented (longer presentations will not be accepted).
- The titles of both presentations should be descriptive of the content of the presentation.
- Accepted pairs of students must participate in a dry-run presentation and will receive feedback to continue to improve their work prior to final presentation at the Sigma Tau Delta convention.
Submission Process
- All submissions must be made via the NEHS AwardSpring platform during the Fall Awards Cycle.
- Student members must find a partner to work with on the two abstracts. Each abstract must be between 300-350 words and be submitted in PDF (.pdf) format. Other formats will not be accepted.
- Students must give their abstracts to their Chapter Advisor for submission along with a 150-word (max.) third-person biography and high-resolution portrait photo.
- The Chapter Advisor must confirm that the abstracts were written exclusively by the students.
- The Chapter Advisor will submit the two abstracts, the full names of the students in the pair, their school email addresses, their biographies, and their portrait photos.
- Applicants must agree that they are willing to provide a written report and photos detailing the impact the creative process and award has had on them, which can be used by NEHS to promote this and other opportunities in future years should they win an award.
Evaluation Process
- All submissions will be evaluated by at least three NEHS evaluators.
- Both presentations with each submission will be evaluated against a rubric containing (but not limited to) the following categories:
- Quality of content
- Evidence of planning in presentation structure
- Level of originality/ability to engage an audience
- Quality of research undertaken
- Quality of analysis/engagement with the text
Sample Submission Materials
The sample materials below were submitted to the 2024-2025 Convention Presentation Award and provide a good example of the quality of analytical and critical skill that the evaluation committee is looking for in submissions:
